IIT Mandi seeks Academic Leaders
Nestled in the Sivalik Range of the
Himalayas, away from the bustle of the
metropolis, a new abode of learning
has germinated. A few hours before
the Himalayan resort Kullu in Himachal
Pradesh, once considered “the end of
the habitable world”, the youngest IIT
is coming up. The location is the forested hills of Kamand on the banks of
the Uhl, a tributary of River Beas. The
historic town Mandi is 14 km away.
The first batch of BTech students in
Computer Science & Engineering,
Electrical Engineering and Mechanical
Engineering are studying at the
mentoring Institute, IIT Roorkee. In
The campus site on the bank of the Uhl
July 2010, classes will shift to a transit
campus in Mandi town. Occupation of the permanent campus in Kamand is slated to begin
in 2011. MTech and MSc programmes will commence in 2012. From 2010, IIT Mandi will
admit research scholars, both MS (by research) and PhD in many disciplines.
The campus in Kamand will offer
a world-class academic environment with a high quality of life in
a setting of natural splendour.
The amenities will include modern classrooms, labs and libraries, sports and extra-curricular
facilities, on-campus housing for
all faculty and students, guest
houses for visitors, a shopping
centre, and a school.
The road from Mandi
IIT Mandi seeks accomplished
people as the nuclei around
which research groups will
crystallize.
The Vision
The vision of IIT Mandi is to spearhead cutting edge research and development of technologies needed by the world in the years to come. Research groups will work together in creating and harnessing the newest technologies needed to serve the people of the region and the
country, to tackle problems of global importance. In order to achieve excellence and high
impact locally and globally, IIT Mandi will strongly foster inter-disciplinary R&D. With a view to
innovating sustainable technologies for widespread use, IIT Mandi will encourage strong
Humanities and Social Sciences participation in technology R&D.
The Focus
The initial thrust will be in the following areas:
Information and communication for sustainable development: rapid development
usually involves rapid increase in resource consumption and pollution. This is not sustainable given the large number of less developed people in the world. The sunrise information and communication technologies have the potential to permit sustainable
modes of development.
Green energy technologies: in the next few
decades, oil and coal as energies sources will
start to get depleted. Nuclear energy has
potentially enormous costs for decommissioning and risk mitigation. In the long term, the
future of energy is likely to be dependant on
renewable sources such as solar, hydro, geothermal, biomass, etc. Hydro and geothermal
are especially relevant in the Himalayan region where IIT Mandi is situated.
Integrated mountain development: mountains such as the Himalayas with scenic
beauty, fragile ecosystems, high seismic risk
and difficult terrain pose especial problems for
development. Only a holistic approach to the
problems of construction, roads and railways,
social structures, etc can hope to achieve high
standards of living in harmony with the natural
environment.
Agricultural and food processing technologies: India's large agricultural sector is
The stream through the campus
has great potential but is also facing several
threats. Higher value-addition by farmers
through food processing and greater use of inexpensive mechanisation will be the key to
preserving the vitality of this sector. This is crucial to India with its large population.
But in the end, the Institute will be shaped by the people who join it.
The Opportunities
You are a faculty member in an IIT or other good University in mid career. You have established an impressive record of academic achievement, teaching and /or research. You are
bubbling with ideas. IIT Mandi offers a unique opportunity for you to build from scratch the
research group or the academic programme of your dreams. The only IIT in the Himalayas,
the serene valleys of Kamand are a clean slate for you to help build a unique IIT.
IIT Mandi
Academic Leaders
2
Remote from the distractions of city life, at IIT Mandi you will find a quiet environment in
which you and your colleagues can immerse yourselves in your pursuit of academic excellence. Despite its remoteness, IIT Mandi will offer the full services and conveniences that
you expect in a modern technological university. These will be provided by an efficient administration that frees you from the overheads often associated with academic appointments.
The Himalayan location will
be a particular attraction to
visiting researchers.
IIT
Mandi is already talking with
select European Universities, and faculty members
will be encouraged to develop global collaborations.
We expect the campus to be
buzzing with talks, seminars
and discussions. IIT Mandi is
also establishing partnership
agreements with industrial
research labs in India.
Again, exchange of researchers will be a key part
of these partnerships.
Create a Research
Group
A pine forest in the campus
If your vision is to create a research group that will be known worldwide, that will make a
lasting impact, you may choose one of the focus themes or define your own focus. IIT Mandi
will help you with the key ingredients: funding, researchers, collaboration and administration.
Support will include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
generous seed funding to setup and operate your research facility
special research collaboration arrangements with select European Universities
special research collaboration partnerships with select industrial research labs in India
Institute support to get external funding
freedom to recruit faculty and research scholars for your group
appointments and joint appointments of faculty in Schools that will facilitate interdisciplinary research
low-friction administrative support
Craft an Academic Programme
If you think teaching is important, so do we. If you wish to create an innovative academic
degree programme, IIT Mandi will provide the framework. You can look forward to,
•
•
•
recognition for innovation in teaching
a flexible credit system that can be tailored to different programmes
support for labs, educational technology and development of teaching materials
Apart from academic activities, if you wish to take on a broader challenge, you can participate
in some administrative capacity required for building and sustenance of the Institute, its activities, and its people.
IIT Mandi
Academic Leaders
3
Practical Matters
IIT Mandi will offer a comfortable life for its staff and their families. The only thing you it will
not give you is life in a bustling and crowded metropolis.
For your children, Mandi town (½ hour from the Kamand campus) has a well-established
DAV school and a Kendra Vidyalaya. Indus School, currently upto 5th Std, plans to grow upto
Plus 2 with CBSE syllabus. Two other Central Board schools are 45 and 60 minutes from the
campus. There are 2 good English-medium nursery schools in Mandi. IIT plans to have a
creche and primary school on the campus. We would also try to attract another high school
on or near the campus.
Mandi does not boast of big industry and higher educational institutions, so opportunities for
spouses may be limited. But for the same reason Mandi, and in the future Kamand, will be
ideal for work in education, for running an NGO, for writers and painters and social workers,
for doctors and for anyone who can work via the Internet. IIT will have R&D projects particularly in ICT and policy research that would offer opportunities for a spouse with expertise in
technology and also humanities and social sciences. For a spouse with a PhD, a part-time or
regular faculty appointment would be an option.
Mandi town has unusually comprehensive shopping given its small size. Of course, it lacks
the malls and cosmopolitan choice of the big cities. For these one has to go to Shimla or
Chandigarh. Mandi has many doctors and some hospitals/clinics. The IIT campus will have
basic medical facilities. The nearest specialty hospitals are in Shimla and Chandigarh.
Kullu, about an hour away has an airport with a few flights in the morning. No doubt as IIT
grows frequency of flights will increase.
In the End
If you love the mountains, if
you have a passion for
research and education, if
you have dreamt of building
a new Institute, if you desire
to contribute to the growth of
higher learning in India, a
unique and rare opportunity
has presented itself. To take
up the challenge, or for more
information, contact:
Timothy A. Gonsalves,
Director, IIT Mandi
+91-1905-237731 (o)
+91-1905-237732 (r)
[email protected]
www.iitmandi.ac.in
IIT Mandi
The bridge to IIT Mandi
Academic Leaders
4